KHAIRPUR, Nov 24: The sugarcane growers have criticised the attitude of Khairpur and Ranipur sugar mills’ administrations for not announcing rate of purchase of cane as a result, the abadgars of the district were supplying cane at lower rates as they have to sow wheat after cutting sugarcane.

President Khairpur Abadgar Ittehad (KAI), Shakir Shah, secretary Faqir Niaz Hussain Bhambhro and former district president Chamber of Agriculture, Zanwar Ghulam Qasim Jiskani while talking to reporters here on Saturday regretted that sugar mills administrations have not announced the rate of purchase of sugarcane specially the L-29 variety.

They said that this year more sugarcane had been cultivated otherwise the mills do not ask for sugarcane varieties. They complained that while purchasing cane, mill administrations were not mentioning amount or weight on purchase invoice.

The growers’ leaders said that both the mills had already delayed the crushing season by one month from the government schedule and now growers were made to face more problems by not announcing the rate of purchase, which is a clear violation of rates fixed by the government.

They further said that the abadgars were also facing problems due to closure of a sugar mill in Sukkur and construction of another sugar mill in Ghotki.

They said that about 15 to 20 per cent less wheat was cultivated last year as the sugarcane crop could not be harvested on time, and added that this year also abadgars would not be able to cultivate early wheat crop due to which crop production will be affected.

Meanwhile, the abadgars of taluka Sobhodero, led by Abadgar Forum leader, Jamal Mehmood Khuhro, staged demonstration outside the Sobhodero press club on Saturday to protest against sugar mills administrations.

The administrations of the mills and DCO could not be contacted for comments however, when contacted on cellphone, district officer (revenue) Khairpur, Munawar Mahessar, said that he has not received any complaint in this regard.